My cat has a painful tail wound. Should I go to an emergency vet?

Ouch, poor Daisy! That looks quite painful and red, and I would be very concerned about infection. She should see a vet immediately to get this treated. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

Unfortunately, it's not possible to tell is his tail is broken from these pictures. I would have to examine the tail in-person in order to tell this. The wound does look quite deep though and it's definitely possible that it was broken. These injuries tend to be vary painful, so I would consider going to the ER vet if he seems very guarded and not interested in food - these are signs of severe pain. Otherwise, as long as it's not bleeding profusely, this injury can wait until your regular vet is open tomorrow. For now, you should flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because cats tend to hate water getting sprayed on them. I recommend having someone help you with this and wrapping Alexander in a towel to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Below is a link to a demonstration of an eye flush that shows how to restrain her well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. I hope that helps and Alexander gets better soon.

Hi there! What you're describing sounds more likely to be a skin problem of some kind (allergies, etc.) vs. an actual wound or something more serious, although of course it's always hard to say without being able to see her in person. It does sound like this is something that should be seen by a vet, since skin issues in cats that are severe enough to cause hair loss and raw spots will virtually always need prescription meds to treat effectively. But if she's acting normal otherwise (eating and drinking, relatively active, no other obvious symptoms), then I wouldn't consider it to be an emergency. It should be okay to call your regular vet's office and get an appointment scheduled for her when you're able to, hopefully within the next week or two. :)

Hello. I am so sorry that your kitty was injured. Technically, this is an emergency because if an infection gets started in the bone, it can have serious consequences for her. It is very unlikely the tail will heal on its own, but I have seen this injury in feral cats & the tail tip can eventually just slough off. Keep cleaning the wound but do make an appointment with your veterinarian at your earliest convenience to have this taken care of properly. All the best & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This poor kitten needs to see a vet immediately. If his tail is hanging by a thread, this is extremely painful and there are no pain medications you can give him. Many human pain medications are toxic to cats, and are fatal if given. He may also have a severe eye infection, which also needs to be treated by a vet. Leaving an eye infection untreated can lead to vision loss. I would consider this a medical emergency. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

This looks like is may be a bite wound abscess that ruptured. Ideally, it should be addressed by your veterinarian. Surgery may be indicated to clean and flush the wound. Antibiotics and pain medication may also be indicated. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking until he sees the doctor. You may need to confine him indoors until he is healed.

This needs to be examined by a veterinarian today. Please do not wait until after the weekend He will need pain medicine and antibiotics and the vet needs to check whether there is already infection present. He may even have to have part of his tail amputated. Please take him to a veterinarian NOW.